Nix et Nebula
by Toasty
Summary: They each had their own weather. They would meet in the greenhouses when it was snowing; her favorite place and her favorite weather. His conditions were by the lake, hidden in the thick fog. “So no one can see,” he told her one time. (d/g)


Nix et Nebula

Disclaimer: I only own Percy… or wish I did. I'm stumped on what to do with my other fics, and this came out. I like it. "Nix et nebula" means "snow and fog" in Latin.

They each had their own weather. They would meet in the greenhouses when it was snowing; her favorite place and her favorite weather. His conditions were by the lake, hidden in the thick fog. "So no one can see," he told her one time.

She let out a merry laugh. "No one can see what they don't want to see- what they don't believe could happen." He shrugged, she smiled, and they changed the subject.

This, though, was a meeting on her terms. The warm greenhouses were empty, no one wanting to face the raging snow outside. She glanced up from watering an ivy when she heard the door burst open. A moment later the cold chill hit her face and arms. Then he walked in.

"This is crazy," he muttered, stomping snow from his boots and brushing it off his shoulders. "No sane person would go out in this."

She smiled and arched her eyebrows, "So what does that say about you?" The boy only glared at her and dropped into a white wicker chair. She continued watering the plants.

They fell into a peaceful silence. After a bit the younger looked up from the plants she was watering and smiled. "My brother almost got expelled again."

The blonde rolled his eyes and pulled himself up from his seat. "What did he do this time?" he asked. With only a few long strides he was standing beside her, watching the snow fall.

She shrugged. "I think he and Harry tried sneaking into Hogsmeade a couple days ago." The elder rolled his eyes. "I've got two sickles that says they were going to see Sirius."

"I'm sorry to say this- well, I'm not- but your brother and his friends are some of the stupidest creatures I've ever met."

The redhead smiled. "I really can't disagree with you there. I don't know why they got sorted into Gryffindor," she shot a glance at her companion, then continued on slowly, "With how they act you'd think they'd be in Slytherin."

Her smile grew as she watched her friend's head spin around, his gray eyes going wide, a look of terror on his face. After a moment he registered the grin on her face and amusement in her eyes. "You little Weasel," he growled, his eyes turning to slits.

She backed away slowly, still smiling. "Ferret," she teased, stepping to the side to miss bumping into a table. "Incredible bouncing ferret," she teased again.

The blonde growled again and burst towards her in a run.

But they were in her element now. Double classes in the greenhouses for six years had taught her more than seven years of the boy's mandatory Herbology lessons. The redhead knew by instinct where tables and benches sat. She knew which plants were looking for a bit of human flesh, and which only wanted to hide one from sight. Her persurer did not.

"Get back here you little weasel!" he bellowed, held fast by a vicious looking plant.

A mop of scarlet hair popped from behind a large shrub. "You rang, Ferret?" He growled. "Did you want something, Ferret?" Another growl. "You know it's late, I should get back to my room." Her head disappeared and he shouted for her again. She reappeared, smiling.

"Get me out of this thing," he snapped. The redhead shrugged her shoulders and began tickling the undersides of the flower's leaves. Almost instantly the vice-like grip on the blonde boy's leg loosened.

"You're welcome," she smiled. He glared. "I'm sorry," she whispered as they made their way back to the windows, "I don't think Ron and Harry belong in Slytherin."

"Damn straight," her companion muttered.

"Of course," she added, with a far-off look, "I don't think they really belong in Gryffindor either." With a shrug the subject was dropped.

"It's supposed to be warmer tomorrow," he told her once they reached their destination. "The Daily Prophet predicted rain." She nodded and he smirked. When there was rain at Hogwarts, there was fog. They would meet on his terms.

She glanced out the window. "It's stopped snowing." He followed her gaze and nodded. The redhead smiled to herself as the boy left. "See you later, Ferret," she called after him.

He grunted and opened the door to the icy weather. "Bye, Weasel," and he was gone. With a small smile she went back to watering the plants. Curfew wasn't for another hour.

Draco Edward Malfoy was a fan of the fog. With gray eyes and wispy hair it didn't tend to surprise many people. Thick mist that seemed to blind other people only made him more aware of his surroundings. When a heavy fog would roll onto the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry no one could find him.

No one, that is, save Virginia Helga Weasley. Ginny had a knack for finding people in the fog.

"The north side of the lake this time?" The young redhead approached the figure she knew was Draco. "You usually go for the south side."

The boy shrugged. "Felt like a change." She nodded and sat beside him on a large stone, cleared of the previous night's snow. The two lone figures watched the fog swirl and dance across the lake. The blonde broke the silence. "You never told me why you think the deadly duo are talking with Sirius Black."

She shrugged. "I just put two and two together."

He took her hand and pulled her up from her seat. "Walk with me," he demanded, "explain."

"Well," she rubbed her hands together, "it's just some little things. Like for example, Harry always has a permission slip to go to Hogsmeade- and yet it's common knowledge that the Dursley's- his aunt and uncle- wouldn't let him go. Black is his only other legal gaurdian. And sometimes I overhear things. One of them'll rush into the common room holding a letter from "Fluffy" or "Muffy" or something like that, and the three of them'll get real suspicious."

The wandered past the Forbidden Forest and Hagrid's hut. There was smoke rising from the chimney and Fang could be heard snoring through the heavy door. Ginny continued. "When Harry first found out he was Black's godson he was less than pleased- now he'll tell anybody and be smiling about it."

"All highly suspicious," the blonde summed up. His companion nodded.

When they reached the south shore the two young adults came to a halt. The elder tilted his head up towards the sky. "Why do you like the snow so much?" he asked, turning to watch the redhead.

Her eyes were glancing up towards the castle. She shrugged. "It's calming," she said, "It's like nothing bad will ever happen again." She turned and smiled at him. "Don't you ever get that feeling? Like everything in the world is just perfect?"

He let out a small smile. "Sometimes."

She focused her brown eyes over the lake. "That's how I feel. When the snow is falling, nothing bad could ever happen. After all," she let out a light laugh, "Not even You-Know-Who himself could ruin a new snowfall." She glanced over at her comrade. "And you like the fog because it hides us, right?"

He shrugged. "Because it hides everything." She nodded.

They were silent for a while before she spoke again. "I like you, you know."

He scoffed. "You can't like me, Weasel." He looked at her closely, "I mean, we're too different."

She lowered her eyes. "We're not _that _different," she muttered. "Well, okay," she admitted, "Maybe we're a little different."

The blonde took her hand and began walking again.

"Ferret," she asked, "Do you think we'll always have to meet in the fog?"

"Or in the snow?" he amended. She nodded and he sighed. "I don't know."

The redhead wrapped her arms around his torso as they walked. "Not everybody would hate it, you know." He glanced down at her, raising an eyebrow. "Well," she added, "Percy wouldn't hate it."

"Dubledore would love it," Draco laughed.

"Could you imagine the look on Snape's face?"

The two walked on in silence, working their way around the lake towards the greenhouses. Suddenly Ginny flung her face up at the sky. "Did you feel that, Ferret?"

"Feel what?" He looked up at the sky too.

"I think it's snowing."

And all of a sudden, it was.

The two students stood outside the greenhouses, in the fog, while it was snowing. Virginia Weasely's arms were wrapped around Draco Malfoy's body, and his arms were draped around her shoulders.

"This doesn't happen, Draco." The redhead looked up at the blonde. "Fog and snow just doesn't happen."

He nodded. "I know."

Her cinnamon eyes looked up into gray ones. "Does… does that mean other things could happen to?"

He didn't hesitate. "Yes."

With the snow swirling around them and the fog floating across the lake, they kissed. Because it was their weather. And it was on both of their terms.

Fin… unless lots of people tell me otherwise.


End file.
